Apparatus for bundling pipes, bars, and the like



May 13, 1952 cs. E. MlRFlELD APPARATUS FOR BUNDLING PIPES, BARS AND THE LIKE Filed July 1, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. GEORGE E. MIRFIELD ATTORNEY G. E. MIRFIELD May 13, 1952 APPARATUS FOR BUNDLING PIPES, BARS AND THE LIKE Filed July 1, 1949 '5 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. GEORGE E.MIRFIELD BY f d ATfB N EY May 13, 1952 G. E. MIRFIELD APPARATUS FOR BUNDLING PIPES, BARS AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 1, 1949 INVENTOR. GEORGE E. MIRFIELD ATTORNEY INVENTOR.

GEORGE EMIRFIELD 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 G. E. MIRFIEILD APPARATUS FOR BUNDLING PIPES, B 'ARS AND THE LIKE May 13, 1952 Filed July 1, 1949 ATTORNEY y 13, 1952 G. E. MlRFlELD 2,596,862

APPARATUS FOR BUNDLING PIPES, BARS AND THE LIKE Filed July 1, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig.

' INVENTOR. GEORGE E. MIRFIELD ATTORNEY Patented May 13, 1952 APPARATUS FOR BUNDLING PIPES, BARS, AND-THE LIKE George. E. Mirfield, Youngstown, Ohio; Thomas W. Craverexecutor of said GorgeE. Mirfield,

deceased Application iuly 1", 1949, Serial No. 102,490

-- SClaims.

1 This invention relates to forming pipes. tubes, bars, rods and the like, hereinafter generically designated pipe, into bundles for convenienthandling, shipment and storage and .is.'.especially:di-

rected to the provision of a machine for. auto-.-

matically forming into bundles and. firmly securing together a predetermined number. of-individual pipes after they have been. automatically segregated by the machine from .anjnd'efinite number supplied to it, the machine being adapted for forming into similar bundlesintthexsame manner a substantially continuous succession of pipes for as long as it is-being operated.

In pipe mills it has heretofore"beenthe practice for a crew of men to perform with the'- aid of suitable mechanical apparatus the various operations incident to bundling pipeswhich 'following segregation of a predetermined number of them in a trough includemanu'allt passing a loop or bight of wire around the bundle and twisting its ends together at each of a number "of stations, usually one adjacent each end and one at approximately the longitudinal'center of the bundle. To enable the Wire to 'be "readily manipulated in this fashion it must be of a gauge permitting it to be manually twisted in a'tight tie and the ties are frequently broken or become loose on the bundleaftertheyhave. been formed and the bundle must then. be .ti'edagain.

A machine for performing certain of-the operations incident to bundling pipes .is disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent 2,387,658, grantedfOctober 23, 1945, toIrving B. Gruberet al.,-.and.includes mechanism for automatically wrappinga wire around a bundle of .pipe and'then twisting-its" ends together to form. a tie .and whilethismachine may permit the use of-somewhat stronger wire than can be satisfactorily secured .manually about a bundle of pipe the severe .twistingpf the wire incident to making the tie. l'mayuso' weaken it that it is readily broken. during. subsequent handling of the bundle.

7 In accordance with the-present,-inventin,,however, the wire used in tying a bundle of .pipe .is

not twisted to hold its ends together, .but .after being wrapped about thepipe is permanently welded to firmly secure its ends thereby...minimizing the likelihood of the bundle beingaccidentally broken open.

It is therefore a principal objectof the invention to provide an automatic machineforwrapping and securing about a predetermined number of pipes formed into abundle a tightlydrawn wire having end portions welde'd'tog'ethenforaper-,

.2 manently holding the pipes in the bundle .until the wireis severed.

A further object is to provide in a machine of "this character a plurality of mechanisms the operation of which is so synchronized as to enable-the rapid bundling of pipe by progressive automatic operations which include welding together overlapped portions of a piece or awplu- :rality of spaced pieces of wire wrapped around the pipe .to :form a tie devoid of sharp twists or "other: weakening strains in the wire whereby the frequency of accidentalgbreakage of bundle ties is substantially reduced.

A. still further object is to provide a machine embodying..mechanism for automatically apply- -i'n'g to a wire tie on arbundle of pipe a Idistinguishingtag which may bear suitable indicia. in-

dicating-the origin, grade, size or the like of the pipes in the bundle.

Other objects, purposes and advantages of the invention will hereafter more fully appear. or be .understood from the following description of a .preferred embodiment of it shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary diagrammatic top plan .wiewshowing the general organization of the machine andthe relative positions of its principal relements butomitting certain of the partsillusztratedzin subsequent, figures.

.-Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation On a larger scale of a portion of the driving and shuttle-synchronizingand actuating mechanism embodied in the machine.

Fig- 3 is astaggered vertical section on the -line 33 in Fig. 2 on the same scale astsaid figure.

Fig. 4is a'fragmentary vertical sectionofthe machine on substantially the samescale as Figs.

2 and B taken onthe line 44 in Fig. 1.

*Fig. 5is a staggered fragmentary vertical section-onthe line 5-5 in Fig. 1.

'--Fig. 6 is a fragmentary-detail partly inverti- -cal section and partly in front elevation illustrating certainof the apparatus embodied in the what larger-scale corresponding to a'portion of Fig. 6 but'showing certain of the parts indifferent positions.

.Fig. 18'is a fragmentaryend elevation of certainofithe-parts shown'in Fig. 6.

"Fig. 9 is a view in elevation showing apart specific individual functions from the machine the pipe holding chuck also illustrated in some of the preceding figures.

Fig. is a generally similar view of a chuck of modified form especially designed for holding pipes of smaller diameter.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary end elevation on a larger scale than the preceding figures particularly illustrating mechanism for applying identifying tags to the pipe bundles.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary front elevation of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary detail of the tag holding head employed in the mechanism shown in the two preceding figures and on a somewhat larger scale, and

Fig. 14 is a face view of a typical tag such as may be applied to a pipe bundle with the aid of the mechanism illustrated in Figs. 11 to 13 inclusive.

It will be appreciated that to facilitate ready comprehension of the machine and to avoid .undue complication of the drawings as a whole,

in the several figures many of the parts are shown separately from others with which they 'are in reality associated but with suflicient of the latter included to make clear their organized relationship therewith. Thus for example the welding mechanism illustrated in Figs. 6-8 is not shown in the other figures which would be unduly complicated thereby; likewise the tag applying mechanism illustrated in Figs. 11-13 is omitted for the same reason from the remaining figures and such omissions are therefore to be construed as merely for convenience in illustration and not as indicating that when the machine is in operative condition any of said parts must be removed from it to enable the remainingparts to perform their normal functions.

General operation It will facilitate a ready understanding of the invention to consider first the several steps performed by the machine in their normal sequence with but limited refreence to the structure of the various parts embodied in it or to their and operation. Thus in general the machine comprises a plurality of wrapping or tying stands of which three may be employed when it is desired to apply ties to a bundle of pipe adjacent each of its ends and adjacent its longitudinal center line and these stands, which are substantially identical and designated A, B and C in Fig. 1 are supplied with operating energy desirably from a single motor I driving a main shaft 2 through a speed reducer 3, the shaft 2 extending the entire length of the machine and carrying suitable cams, gears and the like for actuating the parts in their normal operative sequence, the machine completing the cycle of operations resulting in formation of a single bundle of pipe during each revolution of the shaft 2. This cycle may begin after a plurality of pipes have been deposited by any suitable means on inclined skids disposed adjacent the front of the machine at an angle to induce pipes to roll by gravity inwardly toward its center in orderly succession in a single layer until the leading pipe encounters a stop, each succeeding pipe following until its further travel is interrupted by contact with the then stationary preceding one.

At the initiation of the bundling cycle a predetermined number of-the pipes, beginning with the one engaging the stop, are lifted from the plane of the skids to free them from the stop around them at each tying station from a roll of wire positioned adjacent thereto and brought into juxtaposition with the standing part of the wire after being wrapped completely around the bundle. Welding electrodes are then brought into engagement with the wires from opposite directions and welding current passed between them to form a weld firmly securing the end portion of the wire to the standing part. The latter is then severed from the wire supply and the bundle, now firmly tied together, is ejected from the machine as the pipes selected for the succeeding bundle are introduced into it.

While not essential to the bundling operation the machine also includes mechanismfor applying to the Wire as it is fed to position for being passed around the pipe bundle a perforated metal or other suitable tag through the holes in which the wire is automatically passed as it is fed to the mechanism which carries its leading end'around the bundle so that after the wrapping and welding of the wire the tag remains strung on the .tie wire and serves to identify the bundle in accordance with the indicia impressed upon it;

More particularly the machine may be considered as embodyinga'plurality of mechanisms respectively adapted for the performance of distinct but interrelated and coordinated functions and these mechanisms first will be -described with reference to their several progressive operations as those (a) for handling the pipe, (b) for feeding and (c) for wrapping the tying wire, ((1) for welding the latter and (e) for applying a tag thereto, and it will be .understood that the timing of the operations is so coordinated throughout the cycle as to result in the bundling of pipe automatically at a relatively high rate of speed with practically no participation by attendants.

Pipe handling mechanism receiving top surfaces respectively aligned with adjacent inclined upper edges of plates E of which one projects upwardly from a frame F at each stand. Each frame F also supports in" guides G bolted to it elevator mechanism comprising a pipe selector H operated by-a cam 4 keyed on the main drive shaft 2 and engaging a roller 5 rotatable on the lower end of the selector H the upper end of which is normally, aligned with the skids S and the upper edge of plate E. When the cam 4 lifts the selector however, the latter carries a predetermined number of the pipes upwardly with it until they have been raised above the adjacent edge of a stop 6, over which they then roll downwardly into a chuck I removably bolted to the frame F and providing a pocket 8 for the reception of the pipes. The machine is shown in the drawings equipped with chucks 1 adapted to receive for bundling relatively large pipes P of 'which only three are formed into each'bundle ;shutt1e'3a hereafter: more'ffilly a H gripper" awcs is relatively stationary with re-- a chuck designed for thefreceptiOn-Offmuch smalleropipes P and provided with projecting boss 16in the bottom of its f pocket 8 which holds the center pipe at the bottom of the" bundle fsli'g htlyabove the plane of the adjacent" -bottom pipes for a purpose which-will hereinafter appear. It is of course apparentthe pocket 8 in-the' chuck I can be of any desired shape other than a -mustrated so as to make bundlesof various forms,

for-example;four pipes in a square bundle.

After'the pipes have e n positioned in the chucks and the wire wrapped around"them,

'welded and out off, thefinished bundle is ejected 'from the chucks while the pipes which are tdform a succeeding bundle are being delivered toward them. This ejection isefiected by operation of ejector disks lll of which one'i's d-isposed adjacent each stand and providedwitli projecting fingers II preferably three in" number "whereby through of a revolution of the diskthe bundleis lifted out of the chucks and deposited atthe-rear of the machine. The disks II] are supported'on-a shaft I 2 which extends the full'leng'th' 'of the machine and is driven from the main driving shaft 2 through an eccentric I3 keyed to-the' latter and operating a strap I4 pivoted to lever arm I 5 which actuates a horizontal connecting 'rodI6'theprojecting end of which is pivoted to a 'ratchet lever I! supported from the frame-F on astubshaft I6.

only during each reciprocation of the'rod. The

ratio between the gear '2I and idler 22 is "2:1 however, and the idler is in 1 z lfrelationtopinion 23 whereby during each'rotation of'the 'main shaft 2 the disks are rotated /;;'i "evol ution this revolution occurring entirely during 180 of revolution of the main shaft 2, shaft- I2 and the ejector disks remaining idle during the succeeding 180 revolutionof' the main shaft while the pawl I9 is being retracted-to engage a succeeding tooth of the ratchetwheel-ZO; When the disks I0 arerotated 120 to eject'a bundle-of pipe supported by onefinger I I of each disk'thefsucceeding finger thereon is being rotated'fto position substantially aligned with the bottoms of the chuck pockets 8 preparatory to ejecting a succeeding bundle after it has been completed during the 180 of revolution made by shaft 2 following this rotation of the ejecting disks.

Wire feeding mechanism Adjacent each stand areel'RQ' of'ty'i'ng' wire W is supported in any fconvenientway' a's'on a; suitable bracket 30 secured to the frame F and when the machine is first setup "or anew reel'of Wire supplied to it the'le'a'ding' endof the wire is fed manually through a tensioningjg'uide '3 I and between a pair of feeding rolls 32, aarmm which it passes through a shearing guide 34adjacent the exit end of which is positioned a mechanically operated shear blade35. Beyond the guides but aligned therewith when'the 'wir'e' is'beingfed forward by thefe'edi'ng rolls is a pair ofserrated wire grip jaws .36, 3'I fmounted a revoluble ribed; "one 7 spect to the shuttle I while the other jaw "31 is pivoted to it and' under thef-bias of a; spring 39 is urged toward wire gripping"relationwith the stationary one, their opposed serrated faces being accordingly so formed'and related to'the pivot-of the movable jaw 31 as tohold'thewire securely and to bite into it with'increasingpressure as tension on'the wire is increased. "Ihusas the shuttle 38 carrying the jawswith awire end gripped between them is actuated to pass the wire end about the pipe bundle additional wire is drawn through 'tensioning guide 3| which is therefore adjusted to control the tightness'with which the wire is wrapped "aboutthe bundle.

The wire feeding: rolls 3-2, 3'3,"are supported jfromthe frame Fon parallel shafts 40, 4| and to these rolls are secured 'comp'anion 'spur gears 42, 42' wherebythe rol1sare*cons'trainedto rotate in unison and at the same speed when either one of them isdri'venorthe wireisbeing drawn between them as itis wrapped aroundthe bundle.

able type adapted for drivingthe gear 44*from the shaft when the latter is-driv'en counterclockwise in Fig. 5 but allowing-the gear to be rotated in the same directionwithout'moving the shaft when'the flatteris stationary. The shafts 46; M are journaled in suitable bearings carried by the frame F ithe shaft 4I being provided with a ratchet wheel 45 and'a lever 46 to one end of which is pivoteda pawl "41 for-turning the ratchet wheel and shaft 4| when the lever 'is-actuated. The other end of the lever 46 is pivoted to a connecting rod'48 which is in turn pivoted'to the lever arm I5'so'that when the latteris reciprocated, as heretofore describedthe ratchet wheel 45-is turned in synchronism with the actuation of the pipe bundle ejectingdisks and thereby ro tates the wire feeding rolls to feed a predetermined length of wireforward into the machine while the disks are ejecting a bundlec'arrying a preceding length of the wire. Preferably the parts are so proportioned that the ratchet wheel 45 is rotated one tooth space during each recipto insure their obtaining a firm grip upon it.

During this operation the jawsare held open by means of a pivoted lever 5Il-carried by the frame and engaging a toe 5I on the movable jaw-3?, this lever projecting into engagement with a roller 52 rotatable'on a shear arm53 which ispivotally supported from the wire guide housing fi i and also carries the shear blade'35. A cam follower 55 on the shear arm53 and a'cam' 56 rotatable with the main drive shaft 2 actuate this arm in timed relation to the machine cycle'and'the cam is so formed that when its highest partfit' first encounters thecam'follower the'arm' is rctated'on its pivot sufficiently to cause the shear blade'35 to sever the wire'projectin'g' through the permit the latte'rtoi' efed t rough guide'34into the wire gripping" jawswhich "for "thi purttse are held partially open through the action of cam 56 for a suitable period after retraction of the shear. Thereafter the cam allows the shear arm to further retract and permits the spring 39 to move the movable gripping jaw 37 into snug engagement with the wire end where it is retained during the ensuing bundling operations and until on completion of the cycle the gripping jaws are again opened to release it.

Wire wrapping mechanism The shuttle 38 to which reference has been made as supporting the wire gripping jaws 3B, 31 is designed and suitably mounted in the machine to carry the wire end around a bundle of pipe P positioned in the chucks l as it makes one complete revolution about the bundle axis. It is therefore shaped to provide a trough 68 extending inward from its otherwise generally circular periphery and subtending preferably not more than 60 of arc to afford clearance adjacent its axis permitting its rotation about the pipes in the chuck. The outer edge of the shuttle is grooved to receive a plurality of supporting rollers 6| carried by the frame F which are circumferentially spaced about the shuttle axis at 60 of arc to provide adequate support for the shuttle as it rotates and its trough successively passes the several rollers. 1

Secured to one face of the shuttle and interrupted congruently with it is a substantially annular spur gear 65 by which the shuttle is driven to rotate it one complete revolution during each cycle. To effect its drive a pair of idler gears 85, 8'! rotatable on studs carried by the frame F are spaced circumferentially not more than 60 of arc with respect to the shuttle axis so at least one is always in mesh with the interrupted gear 65 and both idler gears are driven from a gear 88 of the same pitch diameter as the interrupted gear 65, gear 88 being keyed on a shaft 18 which extends the entire length of the machine and thus drives a similar gear at each stand. While this shaft 10 is actuated in such manner as to cause it to make a complete revolution and hence to turn the shuttle once about the bundle axis during every revolution of the main drive shaft 2, the rotation of shaft 18 nevertheless is intermittent and at a substantially higher rotational rate than that of shaft 2 so that a complete revolution of the shuttle is accomplished during 90 of revolution of the latter while during the remaining 270 thereof the shuttle is at rest.

This intermittent drive of the shuttle actuating shaft 16 is effected through mechanism particularly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 and includes a spur gear H secured to the main drive shaft 2 as by a pin 12 and meshing with a second gear 13 of the same pitch diameter rotatable on a short shaft 74 extening parallel to th main drive shaft 2 and supported on pedestals i5, 16 which may also provide journals for the main shaft. The second gear 73 is fixed to a plate Ti carrying a pin i8 and forming one element of a Geneva movement, the pin 18 being adapted to engage successively in the slots 79 of a star wheel 88 mounted on but rotatable about shaft 2, the star wheel driving a gear 8! also rotatable on said shaft and meshing with a pinion '82 on the shuttle driving shaft it. As the star wheel 88 is provided with four slots 19 and intermediate concave arouate lands 83 complementary to the convex peripheral edge of the plate i1 aligned with pin 18 the star wheel rotates through 90 each time the pin enters a slot 19 therein and pursuing its normal arcuate course thereafter is disengaged therefrom while drive shaft 2 is making a quarter turn during each of its revolutions, the lands '83 engaging the plate 11 to hold the star wheel stationary until the pin again engages it in the succeeding slot. Accordingly, as the shuttle 38 must make a complete revolution about its axis while the main drive shaft 2 isrotating through the of arc corresponding to engagement of the pin [8 in a slot 19, the gear 8! and pinion 82 are proportioned in a, 4 to 1 ratio so that during each quarter turn of the star wheel and hence of the gear 81, the pinion 82 and shuttle driving shaft 18 rotat through a complete revolution and correspondingly turn the shuttle one revolution about the pipe bundle thus carrying the wire end, held by the gripping jaws, entirely around the bundle and overlapping it with respect to the standing part of the wire, the wire tensioning guide meanwhile controlling the tension of the wire as the shuttl tra'vel draws additional wire from the reel.

During this operation the roller ratchet in the wire feed roll driving gear 44 allows the rolls 32. 33 to rotate freely in the direction the wire is drawn between them and the positions of the wire feed ratchet wheel 45 and its actuating pawl I! which remain stationary during the rotation of the shuttle 3-8 are unafiected by the amount of wire drawn out. Thus the wire feeding mechanism always operates to feed a predetermined length of wire, no matter what length thereof was required to tie the'preceding bundle and hence drawn out by the shuttle in passing its end around the bundle.

Welding mechanism As illustration of the Welding mechanism in Figs. 4 and 5 would obscure certain other parts of the machine and render more difiicult comprehension of their structure and operativ association, the said mechanism is shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 only but in proper relation to certain other parts heretofore described from which its relation to the machine as a whole will be apparent.

Essentially the welding mechanism comprises a pair of electrodes disposed at opposite. sides of .each frame F and adapted at the appropriate point in the cycle to engage thet ie wire after its end has been wrapped around a bundle of pipes by the shuttle and overlapped with its standing part and to press thes adjacent portions of the wire tightly together at the bottom of the bundle and a current is then passed between the electrodes transversely through the wire parts to weld the latter securely together.

The electrodes 90, 9| are supported respectively in split electrode holders 92, 93 on opposite sides of the frame F and are adjustable longitudinally therein on loosening clamping bolts 94 to allow compensation for wear. The electrode holder 92 Y to the left inFig. 6 and shown on a larger scale in Fig. 7 in different position is mounted on an arm 96 secured to a shaft 91 carried by a bracket 98 bolted to the frame F. This arm is articulated at a pivot 99 which allows the holder 92 and the upper part of the arm to swing relatively to its lower part and to the shaft 91 in one direction against the bias of a spring 100, complementary plane bearing surfaces HH, I02 on the arm parts limiting their relative movement in the opposite direction. A dog I03 projects from the upper arm part for engagement with a stop I04 fixed to the bracket '98 to limit relative movement of said part zsaasea oua ero-v l ck i s i Fi s-. a 7 h h lower armpart moves in, said direction about the axis o f jshaftt'l under the biasof asuitably disposed spring} fliif the dog' and stop thereby swinging the holder andjupper farm part to the position indicatedt in Fi 7 fora purpose which will hereafter appear. On the oppositeside of the bracket the shaft 91; also carries; a cam arm IBIS-supporting a' cam follower- IBI engageable withfa face cam llll i conveniently a part of cam55 driven by shaft 2 andtin' the proper relation to the edge cam surface thereof, which operates the wire shear and gripping jaws, to cause: the electrode arm to move clockwise in Figs. 6 and-7 and thus bring the electrodefl90 [into engagementjwiththeti wire at the properfpoint inthe machine cycleto press the overlapped wires together and effect a weld just pribrltolthe severing' of the istanding part of the wire and release of itsfree end by the gripping jaws preparatory to ejection of a finishedbundle from t e ac ne.

The. other electrode holder 93 is carried by an arm IIILpivoted to 'a'bracket III on theopposite faQro ftheframe'F and an extension II2 of the armbelow its pivot I I3 is engaged by a compressiori spring IM which surrounds a stud" I I5 prol'fi i fr m e rame through e r g and arm extension 112; the stud receivnig lock nuts II611 which afford ,an adjustable stop to limit mpvemenr of the arm under" the bias of the spring; On an extension I'I'I of the bracket III is an electricalicontact I20 adapted to be engaged bya secondcontact I2I' on the arm when the latter is moved clockwise in Fig. 6 against the bias of the spring, contact I20 being connected to "one'ipole of" a jweldingl current source by a suitable onductor. (not shown). Lock nuts I I6 and contact I20 are preferably'so adjusted that the. nendfof electrode 9 I lies closely adjacent the wires'when the electrode supporting :arm extension H2 is in engagementiwith the inner lock nut H6 and; limited motion of the arm from this position ca'nsesfthe movable contact I2I on the arm to engage the fixed. Contact I20 on the bracket'to complete the-welding circuit, electrode holderi 92o fcoilrse being 'suitably'connected tothe'opposite pole of the current source. The wires yield slightly in directions longitudinally of the pipe before they are weldedtogether when the electrode 90 is projected by operation of face cam I0'8'toward th position showninFig. 6 and it"pushes them against the end of electrode 9l to move it sufficiently to complete the circuit through contacts I20, I21 whereupon the current passes from one electrode to the other through thetoverlapped wiresto complete a weld as they are thus pressed tightly together between the electrodes.

The current of'course may be controlled as by suitableirelaysor other instrumentalities to time itslpassaga. although if no such means are employed, the cam Illfl controls the-timing, since after it has passed cam follower I01 the Spring II Lcan act on the electrodearm IIO to break the circuit between contacts, I20 and I2I.

'As. shown in Fig. 8 when a bundle comprising three large diameter pipes. P is, positioned in the machine theyin section define substantially an isosceles triangle having a void at the center of its base where the wire parts overlap into'which ends of the electrodes partially project to make good contact with the wir.'e,,but without touching the pipes. Whenja plurality of, considerably smaller" pipes P are being bundled however, I prefer 'to' employ; chuck "Ii "substantially of vthe form illustrated in Fig.- 10 in which boss 9 at the bottom of its pocket B'fiis aligned with the spaces occupied by the ends of, the electrodes to keep the pipes P'.- clear of the flatten during the bundling operation.

m e m ch n sm Reference hasbeen made to means which preferably' are incorporated in the machine forapplying a tag tothe tie wire as a bundle of pipe is being wrapped, the mechanism I have devised secured by a bracket I29to. the frame F. The

shaft is provided with a sinuous slot I 30 in which 'a' pin I3I carried by thesleeveengages whereby when the shaft is 'raisedor' lowered, axially in the sleeve it is "simultaneously rotated through a partial revolution to carry the head I26along a spiral path into or from the vicinity of the wrapping mechanism. i

For shifting the shaft axially to effect this action its lower end is grooved to; receive aswivel collar I pivoted to one arm I361of a crank supported on a pivot I321 .projecting from the frame F, the other arm I38'of thecrank carrying a cam follower I39 engage'able 'withcam surfaces I40,

I II on a cam l lzicarried by shaft 2'", camsurfaces I40 and MI being designed toimovethe crankiin opposite directions. respectively to" raise and lower shaft I21 and. thereby'swingihead' I26 upwardly and inwardly oroutwardly and downwardly with respect to the shuttle 38 in timedfrelation tovthe other operations in the" cycle.' The head 126 is provided with an arched slot msmwwnmna tag such'as the tag 'I"(Fig;' 14) made'o'f thin metal and provided with holes" I48 'may be in'-' ser ted after the tag has been-bent'ito' conform substantially to the sh-ape of the slot.' Extending transversely across one race of the head I26 and aligned with thelholesf;M8111! the as when the latter is positioned in slotfl45fisawire receiving groove I 50 thesides of which extend at anangle to the horizontal substantiallycorresponding to the pitch ofslot I 3il,inshaft I2I.. V 7

hus i when a ta h s been osit o ed l I 4 in the head I26 and he tter: ai d and swung' 'inwardfthrough 'operation'of' cam I42 groove I50 is, aligned with the shearing guide 34 of the wire feeding inechanismfand the gripping jaws 36, 3.1 of the'shuttle, and, withthe head in this positionas thewi're feed rolls 32, 33ipro'ject the wire. end fromfthe'shearing guide it follows groove I50, passing through holes I'48 in the tag and enters the gripping jaws onthefshuttle, the head being moved out of the way by. cam I4I- after thetaghas thus -been strung on the wire which retains it as the hea'd retires.

It will be apparentfrom the drawings that in positioning a tag the head I26; moves into space sometimes occupied 'bywelding electrode and it is primarily to permit: the head to do so that the arm' supportingthis electrode is articulated as heretofore described; Thus when the headis projected into said space it can depress the electrode against the bias'of the electrode spring I00 which restores the arm parts to normal relation after the. tag positioning head hasretired preparatory tothe' electrode being projected inwardly against the wirejaiterl the, end of the latter has been wrapped around the bundle.

11- Operation While the functions and operation of the several parts of the machine individually have been explained, their coordination is essential to effective accomplishment of the tying of the bundle of pipe and a brief reference to the interrelationships of the several instrumentalities employed will perhaps clarify their operation.

Thus it will be assumed the machine is fully assembled and ready to begin operations, with a plurality of pipes P disposed on the skids at the front of the machine, a reel of wire W on its bracket 30 at each stand, its end threaded through tension guide 3!, between its feed rolls 32, 33 and shearing guide '34 and positioned at or perhaps a little beyond the inner end of the latter, the welding electrodes in their non-operative positions and. the tag holding head retracted but having positioned in its slot I45 a tag to be applied to the bundle of pipes which are to be wrapped.

The motor 1 is now energized, initiating rotation of shaft 2 clockwise in Fig. 4 and counterclockwise in Fig. 5; with the beginning of this motion the pipe lifts H start to rise, lifting the leading pipes P above thelevel of the stop 6 the lifts of course being proportioned to select from those on the skids the number of pipes, for example three, to be bundled together. -While the pipe lifts are rising the ejector disks are also being rotated through 120 but devoid of any load at this time since no preceding bundle is present. However, the ejector fingers H which would otherwise be ejecting such bundle are moved far enough by the time the incoming pipes have passed over the stops 6 to clear the way for them to roll inwardly and downwardly into the chucks 1.

During these operations the tag holder has been raised to align the tag with one of the wires and as the latter are fed toward their respective gripping jaws one of them is projected along the groove in the tag holder head, through the holes in the tag and all enter substantially simultaneously between the gripping jaws which are held open by their operating cams; if any wire at the start was projecting beyond the shearing guide the shear trimmed off its end just prior to initiationof its feed.

After the wire ends have been entered between the now open gripping jaws 36, 31 the cams 56 release the movable jaw restraining levers 50 and jaw springs 39 press the movable jaws into clamping engagement with the wire ends, the pipe lifts meanwhile descending to enable the pipes for the next bundle to roll down the skids over them after they have passed below the skid level.

After the wires have been gripped by the grippers the tag holding arm is retracted, the wire strung through the tag holes retaining the tag as the head retires, and the shuttles carrying the grippers with the wires securely held between them now rotate through one complete revolution clockwise in Fig. 5 to pass the wires entirely around the bundle of pipe in the chucks and overlap their end and standing parts at the base of the. bundle, the one carrying tag T usually somewhat flattening the tag as the leading end portion of the wire is brought under it. During this operation the tensioning guides control the tightness of the wrap of the wires, while the roller ratchets in the wire feed mechanisms allow the required amounts of wire to be drawn out at each stand. Each electrode actu- .12. ating cam 108 now moves corresponding electrode into engagement with the leading end portion of the wire, presses it against the standing part and in turn forces the latter to move electrode 9| to position to complete the welding circuit through contacts I20, Hi. The welding current then passes through the overlapped wires for a time suificient to weld them securely together, after which cams I08 release the electrodes and the circuit is broken by separation of the contacts. Thereafter the shear 35 at each stand operates to sever the wire adjacent its tensioning guide, the wire gripper jaws are opened to release the wire ends and as the bundle ejector disks Ill operate to lift the bundle out of the chucks I and discharge it at the rear of the machine the pipe lifts, wire feeds and tag positioning mechanism are again actuated to initiate a succeeding cycle.

No reference has been made to means for consecutively introducing the tags into the tag positioning head as the invention is not concerned therewith but it will be evident this may easily be accomplished manually by an operative stationed adjacent the machine within easy reach of the head when it is retracted, and as it remains retracted during one half of each cycle ample time is afforded for manual insertion of the tag. Preferably to avoid risk of injury to the operative from contact with pipe bundles ejected from the machine, tags are applied only at stand A where ample room beyond the ends of the bundles but still within reach of the head is afforded.

While I have herein particularly described and specifically illustrated the construction of one embodiment of the machine which is well adapted for accomplishing the objects of the invention, it will be understood I do not desire or intend thereby to confine myself in any way as changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement and relationship of the various instrumentalities comprised therein will readily occur to those skilled in the art and may be made if desired without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim and desire to protect by Letters of the United States r 1. A machine for securing a Wire about a predetermined number of pipes or the like comprising means for passing the leading end of the wire about the pipes, means for then welding together the end portion of the Wire and a standing part thereof extending to a source of wire supply, means for severing the wire between the weld and said source after completion of the weld, means fOr projecting the wire end into the vicinity of the pipes prior to its passage thereabout, a movable arm for positioning a perforated tag adjacent the pipes with a perforation in the tag aligned with the path of projection of the wire end to thereby string the tag on the wire during its projection along said path before said end is passed about the pipes and actuating means for said wire projecting means and said arm operative to move the armto so position the tag in predetermined timed relation to the projection of the wire along said path.

2. A machine for bundling pipes or the like, including pipe supporting means, means for selecting from a plurality of pipes supported thereby a predetermined number of pipes and delivering them to a bundling station, a cam for actuating said pipe selecting means, means at said staatent tion for-supporting the pipes-in parallel; interengaging; relation,- means for' simultaneously passingaplurality-of-wire ends about the pipes at points-spaced longitudinally thereof includin a plurality of shuttles rotatableabout the pipes each comprisingmeans for gripping a wire end, coaxial gears respectively operative to rotate the shuttles and a shaftfor supporting and simultaneously driving said-gears, means for maintainingztensionpn"thewires during passage oftheir ends -about'-the pipes, means for welding overlapping portions of each wire together adjacent the pipes after passage of said ends thereabout, means for simultaneously severing the wires between the welds and the respective sources of wire supply comprising a shear disposed adjacent each shuttle and a plurality of cams respectively operative to actuate said shears, longitudinally spaced means for thereafter ejecting the wired bundle of pipes from the station, a second shaft supporting said ejecting means for simultaneous rotation about a common axis, a main shaft adapted for continuous rotation about an axis parallel to said first and second shafts, means interposed between the main shaft and the first shaft to impart intermittent motion to the latter, said main shaft supporting said shear operating cams, and means interposed between said main shaft and the second mentioned shaft for imparting intermittent motion thereto in predetermined timed relation to the motion of the first shaft.

3. A machine as'defined in claim 2 including an arm movable toward and away from the path of one of the wire ends for positioning a perforated tag adjacent said path and wire engaging means for projecting said wire end through a perforation in the so positioned tag prior to its passage about the pipes.

4. A machine for bundling pipes or the like comprising a plurality of spaced chucks adapted to receive and support a predetermined number of pipes in parallel interengaging relation, means for'introducing the pipes into the chucks, a plurality of rotatable shuttles disposed at intervals longitudinally of the pipes when seated in the chucks and each having a trough partially surrounding the pipes, wire gripping means carried by each shuttle, a source of wire supply proximate each chuck, means directing wire therefrom towards'the shuttle and its gripping means, tag carrying means disposed adjacent one of the shuttles including a movable head adapted to receive and support a perforated tag and means for moving the head relatively to the path of the leading end of the wire extending towards said shuttle from the corresponding source operative to so position a tag carried by the head that its perforation aligns with said path, means for rotating the shuttles simultaneously to thereby carry about the pipes the leading ends of the wires after passage through said perforation of said leading end and reception of all said end in the gripping means and thence into overlapping relation with the standing parts of the wires leading to the respective sources, and means for then securing together the overlapped parts of the wires.

5. A machine for bundling pipes or the like comprising a plurality of spaced chucks adapted to receive and support a predetermined number of pipes in parallel interengaging relation, means for introducing the pipes into the chucks, a plurality of rotatable shuttles each having a trough partially surrounding the pipes when disposed in the chucks, wire gripping means carried by each shuttle,-means for'rotating the shuttles about the pipes to-therebycarry wire ends engaged in the wiregri-pping-means aroundthe pipes and overlap each end with a standing part of the wire, said means comprising an interrupted gear fixed to each shuttle a pair of idler gears circumferentially spaced with respect to each interrupted gear and, meshing therewith, a rotatable shaft and gears carried thereby respectively engaging the idler gears of each pair, a mainshaft rotatable continuously about an axis parallel to that of said firstshaft, cams carriedby the main shaft respectively-operativeto actuate the pipe introducing means, and-means for intermittently actuating the first shaft from the main shaft in timed relation to the actuation of said pipe introducing means.

6. A machine for bundling pipes or the like including a plurality of spaced pipe receiving chucks, means for introducing a predetermined number of pipes into the chucks, means for passing a wire end about the pipes while in the chucks and overlapping its end portion with respect to a standing part of the wire, means for welding together the overlapped portions of the wire, means for severing the standing part thereof, means for ejecting the bundled pipes from the chucks, and means for actuating each of said means including a rotatable shaft, a cam carried thereby for actuating the pipe introducingmeans, a gear train including a Geneva movement driven by the shaft for actuating the wire end passing means, a second cam carried by the shaft for actuating the welding means, an eccentric cam on the shaft, and a lever actuated thereby for actuating the wire severing means and the bundle ejecting means.

7. In a machine for bundling pipes and the like comprising supporting means for the pipes, a rotatable shuttle adapted to carry a wire end about the pipes and into overlapping relation to the standing part of the wire, wire end gripping means carried by the shuttle and means for feeding the end of the wire along a substantially rectilinear path to said gripping means, a tag carrying head having a slot for reception of a perforated tag, an arm supporting the head for movement toward and away from said path and means for actuating the arm in predetermined timed relation to the operation of said feeding means operable to move the head toward said path to so position a tag carried by the head that its perforation aligns with said path preparatory to passage of the wire end therethrough and to move the head away from said path and the tag after passage of the wire through the perforations and into engagement with the gripping means.

8. In a machine for securing a wire around a bundle of pipe comprising means for supporting the bundle, means for feeding the end of the wire forwardly proximate the bundle and means for then gripping said end and drawing the wire about the bundle, means for stringin a perforated tag on the wire during its said movement including a tag holder adapted to receive an edge of a tag having spaced holes so disposed that when the tag is arched transversely to said edge and inserted in the holder the holes are aligned to form a passage for the wire, and holder actuating means including a movable member supporting the holder and means coordinated with the wire feeding and gripping means to actuate the member to move the holder to a position such that the holes in the tag lie in the path of the leading end of the wire as it is thereafter fed to 15 the gripping means and to withdraw the holder from that position and from the tag after the wire has been passed through the holes and received in the gripping means.

GEORGE E. MIRFIELD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 16 Name Date Broden et a1 Nov. 15, 1927 McChesney Nov. 29, 1927 Rosenkranz July 25, 1933 Williams Oct. 30, 1934 Larson Aug. 13, 1935 Evans July 27, 1937 Marchand. Apr, 23, 1940 Hannaford June 3, 1941 Gruber et a] Oct. 23, 1945 Workman Oct. 22, 1946 Grange Apr. 18, 1950 

